One issue of interest in the field of dishwashers is to reduce the externally perceptible noise generated by a dishwasher when the dishwasher is in use. However, because of the nature of the device, and the number of components cooperating to circulate the water in the operating unit, such noise reduction generally may be accomplished by analyzing and targeting particular components on an individual basis, such that the overall combined noise produced by the dishwasher is reduced.
Particular areas of interest include the door assembly and the walls surrounding the wash cavity of the dishwasher. The door assembly provides access to the wash cavity of the dishwasher where the dishware is loaded and washed. The water used to clean and rinse the dishware splashes against the tub defining the wash cavity and the door assembly, which transmit noise to the exterior of the dishwasher.
Other sources of noise that may be transmitted through the walls and door assembly include the pumps and fans in or proximate the wash cavity that may operate during the clean, rinse, and dry cycles of the dishwasher, and vibrations created from components of the dishwasher that transmit through the frame of the dishwasher to the walls and door assembly. Also, in some cases, the walls and door assembly may house or contain one or more electronic components that may add to the noise being transmitted to the exterior of the dishwasher.
A door assembly typically includes an inner panel adjacent to the tub of the dishwasher and an outer panel adjacent to the outside environment of the dishwasher. Also, in some embodiments, the door assembly may include an intermediate panel extending between the inner and outer panels.
The tub forms a wash cavity. The tub can comprise a multi-walled structure with internal space between the walls. Additionally, the walls surrounding the wash cavity may further comprise exterior panels which surround the tub and can provide additional internal space between the exterior panels and the tub.